


The Subject of Cheese

by heycassbutt



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Charles is Amused, Charles is confused, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Erik has Issues, Gen, I Blame Tumblr, I Don't Even Know, I don't know how to tag this, Just dialogue, No Romance, Raven makes an appearance, Why Did I Write This?, Young Charles and Erik, between two old friends, but what else is new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15765072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heycassbutt/pseuds/heycassbutt
Summary: Erik had always been a man of refined taste.





	The Subject of Cheese

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I wrote this, I just got the prompt (“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese”) and I had no choice but to do something with it. This is the result. A word of warning, though, this was written around 4am. Enjoy, if you can! :D

Erik had always been a man of refined taste. Whether it was a book, food, wine or company, Erik demanded the best and expected nothing less than perfection when it came to his own experience about something. There was a reason Charles rarely took Erik with him anywhere anymore; in the later years, Erik had become so difficult to please, Charles would rather skip the night out with his oldest friend entirely than risk the possibility of Erik making yet another poor waitress cry when she accidentally brought him the wrong kind of pavlova. Whilst Charles felt some strange sense of pride for the fact that Erik still considered him to be worth his time, there were times when the Professor could only look at his friend and wonder, what had gone wrong.

In truth, when Charles truly thought about it in depth one day, he realized that Erik had become quite insufferable.

When he went to confront Erik after this realization had hit him, Charles found him already being confronted: it appeared that Raven had gotten enough of Erik’s attitude as well, if the way she was growling at him with her yellow eyes nearly sparkling was any indication. Charles missed the exchange of words they had had prior to his arrival, but he could imagine how it had gone. Raven was upset, angered and didn’t say anything to Charles when she stomped past him upon leaving the room, and from this Charles guessed that Raven’s message, whatever it had been, hadn’t been received that well.

Charles entered the library. Erik sat with a pile of books on the couch by a large window, and the look on his face didn’t show a single sign of the heated conversation he’d had with Raven only moments ago. Instead, he looked bothered but in a different kind of way, and that was a look Charles, much to his agony, recognized all too well. That was the very look that had preceded the waitress leaving their table in tears.

”I have realized something, Charles”, Erik said once Charles had come close enough for him to use a normal volume of voice. Charles lifted an eyebrow, both curious and a little anxious, but he remained quiet. Erik closed the book he’d had open in his lap, and his eyes turned to the Professor.

”Over the years”, Erik began, “I’ve noticed that poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”

No matter how many Ph.D’s he had under his name, Charles had to take a moment to gather and process what he had just heard to understand it to its full extent. Had Erik just complained about the lack of poetry on the subject of cheese? Charles knew his hearing hadn’t taken any significant damage lately, and there was no way he had misheard Erik. He had truly started on the subject of cheese. Apparently, even after years of friendship, and so many things and times Erik had complained to him about, that man still found ways to surprise him.

Charles wasn’t entirely sure whether that was a positive remark on Erik’s character as a whole.

”On the subject of cheese?” Charles found himself feeling the need to repeat that peculiar statement. ”Whatever do you mean?”

”The lack of poetry on the subject is astounding. I read somewhere that the mankind has already touched on everything and on every subject, but clearly this is not the case. I’ve yet to find a poem about klosterkaese.”

”I... I see.” Charles could no longer hold in the amused smile and chuckle Erik’s comments caused. ”Well, if the lack of cheesy poetry disturbs you, my friend, why won’t you write it yourself? It hasn’t been that long since you praised your skills in poetry and prose. This would be an opportune time to prove your worth in that field, as well.”

Erik studied Charles for a long time, perhaps attempting to find a sign of mockery his tone of voice suggested was definitely there, but Charles hid his true intentions behind a genuinely helpful mask of a friendly smile, and Erik was unable to find what he was looking for. Instead, after he determined he wouldn't find anything, he gave Charles a nod.

”You are correct”, he said. ”This is something someone must do, and that someone might as well be myself. Excuse me, old friend; I have some studying to do.”

With those words, and a pair of books in his arms, Erik stood up from the couch and left the library, but Charles stayed behind. He stayed where he was, although he looked after his friend, an amused smile was on his face. Even though he hadn’t been able to confront Erik about what he had meant to confront him about, it suddenly didn’t feel as big of an issue as it had ten minutes ago. That man was still Erik, even if a bit changed one, but then again... life changed everyone. Some changed for better, some for worse, and then there was Erik. And the subject of cheese, apparently.


End file.
